Plastic football player&#39;s mask



Dec. 26, 1950 M, T, MARIETTA 2,535,434

PLASTIC FOOTBALL PLAYERS MASK Filed Dec. 29, 1949 Patented Dec. 276,1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLASTIC FOOTBALL PLAYERS MASK MichaelT. Marietta, Dallas, Tex.

Application December 29, 1949, Serial No. 135,777

4 1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in a ball players maskaiording the wearer better protection of his face, or more particularlyof his nose.

The principal object of the invention is to provide in a mask of plasticexterior layer an interior one-piece padding with a single cut-out forthe nose of the player, the mouth hole and eye holes of the outer layer.

Another object is to provide a mask which may be produced at low costbecause of its simplicity.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent as theinvention is fully comprehended, the" same resides in the construction,combination and arrangement of elements hereinafter specificallydescribed and distinctly claimed in the appended claim.

For a better understanding, the description should be read in connectionwith the accompanying drawing forming part of the application andwherein:

Fig. l is a perspective of the front of the mask constituting thepreferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2--2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a front perspective of the ilattened padding constituting apart of the mask.

In the drawing in which like characters of reierence designate like orsimilar elements numeral 5 denotes an exterior layer of plasticInaterial having a generally convex outer surface and concave innersurface and provided with an opening l which when the mask is wornregisters with the mouth of the player. Above the mouth opening on theconvex side is a protuberance cr upwardly receding ridge s with aninterior cavity opening to the exterior of the mask through the lowerend of the protuberance and during use housing the nose of the wearer.

On either side of the upper end of the protuberance is a hole for an eyeof the user.

A chin strap I3 has an intermediate portion underlying the wearers chinaccessible through an opening in the lower end of the mask and each endis bifurcated and attached to the lateral side of the chin portion ofthe mask.

A lower back head strap l5 has looped ends il each inter-linked througha slit i9 in the cheek portion of the mask with the lower rear edgethereof.

An upper back head strap includes end loops similar to those describedand each passing through a slit i3 in one of the temple portions of themask and comprises sections 2|, 23 of which 2 the former carries abuckle, while the latter is provided with holes for the prong of thebuckles. The buckled strap section 2| is connected to one end of a strap25 which at the other end has a loop I1 passing through a slit I9adjacent the rear edge of the forehead portion of the mask.

Strap 25 is connected intermediate its ends to the intermediate part ofhead strap 21 which is attached at either lower end to strap section 2|or 23. Side straps 29 each connects one of the strap sections 2|, 23 toone end portion of the lower back head strap.

The interior concave surface of the outer plastic layer is covered witha resilient pad 3| preferably of foam rubber. The pad has a cut out orslot 33 resembling the inverted section of a railroad rail. The upperpart of the slot registers partly with the eye holes in the plasticexterior mask part and connects with a central part for the nose. Thiscentral part is in communication with the cavity of the protuberance andtogether with the latter houses the nose of the wearer. The central partof the slot communicates at its lower end with a slot part reg isteringwith the mouth opening of the outer plastic part. The central part ofslot 33 has straight, parallel edges which are adapted at their innercorners to engage the base of the nose and prevent or minimize lateralshifting of the mask and contact between the nasal surfaces adjacent therid-ge of the nose and the converging cavity surfaces.

If the padding is thick enough the nasal protuberance may be very smallor may be omitted entirely.

It is believed that my mask is an ecient means of protecting the faceand particularly the nose of the wearer from injury.

One of the reasons why the mask may be produced at low cost lies in thefact that the cutout of the pad may be stamped out by a die.

Having described my invention as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In an athletes mask the combination comprising an exterior plasticsection having a hole for the mouth of the wearer, two eye holes and aprotuberance with an interior cavity Afor the nose oi' the wearer, thecavity opening to the space exterior to the mask at the lower end of theprotuberance and a one-piece pad of foam rubber having a single cutoutpartly receiving the nose of the wearer and partly registering with thecavity, the mouth hole and theeye holes, the part of the cutoutreceiving the nose and registering with the cavity having straight andparallel edges each aligned with an intei- Number sectlon of the cavitysurface and tne remaining 1023 285 interior surface of the plasticsection. 1272309 MICHAEL T. MARIETTA. 5 1637692 2,125,854 REFERENCESCITED The following references are of record in the Number le of thlspatent: m 169,544

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date White Apr. 16, 1912 Paupa July 9, 1918Fitzpatrick et a1. Aug. 2, 1927 Standley Aug. 2, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTSCountry Date Great Britain Oct. 6. 1921

